A practical overview of safety, medical care, documentation, insurance communications, and preserving important evidence.
Start with safety and medical needs
Move out of immediate danger when it is safe to do so and call emergency services when someone may be injured. Some symptoms are not obvious at the scene, so pay attention to changes and seek appropriate medical care.
Do not let the need to collect information override personal safety. The scene, traffic, leaking fluids, or damaged vehicles may create additional hazards.
Preserve what you can
If circumstances allow, photograph vehicle positions, damage, road conditions, traffic controls, debris, and visible injuries. Exchange identifying and insurance information and note the names of witnesses.
Keep copies of collision reports, repair estimates, medical records, receipts, work notes, and communications. A simple written timeline can help preserve details that become harder to remember later.
Be thoughtful with insurance communications
Notify the appropriate insurer, but understand what information is being requested before providing a recorded statement, signing a broad authorization, or accepting a resolution.
Avoid guessing about speed, distance, injury severity, or fault. It is reasonable to distinguish what you personally observed from what you do not yet know.
When legal guidance may help
Questions may arise when injuries are serious, responsibility is disputed, several vehicles are involved, a commercial or government vehicle is implicated, or insurance coverage is unclear.
A consultation can help identify evidence, applicable procedures, and next steps. The California Courts Self-Help Guide also provides general information about personal injury cases.
Official information
For general information about California personal injury cases and civil lawsuits, visit the California Courts Self-Help Guide.
LEGAL INFORMATION DISCLAIMER
This article provides general information only. It is not legal advice, does not address every exception or deadline, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws and procedures may change. Advice for a specific situation requires review of the particular facts.
